Needing wins to solidify its tournament resume, the Illinois women’s tennis team split a pair of matches on the weekend to end the regular season.

After pulling out a 4-3 win at Indiana (17-8, 6-5 Big Ten) on Friday, the Illini (13-10, 6-5) dropped an extermely close decision to Purdue (16-4, 8-3) 5-2 amid blustery conditions. 

In Sunday’s Senior Day contest, four singles matches were determined in the third set, and the Illini could not capitalize in the final frame. Purdue earned victories in three of the four extra-set matches, which provided the final margin of victory.

“That was a difference maker (Sunday),” head coach Michelle Dasso said. “Purdue was stronger in the mental department. … We need to find a way to be 10 percent stronger mentally.”

The Illini opened the match with strong doubles play at the first and second doubles pairings. After dropping the first game of the set, juniors Misia Kedzierski and Allison Falkin went on to win eight of the next nine games to finish with an 8-2 victory.

The first doubles position featured two ranked pairings, as Purdue’s Krisztina Kapitany and Mara Schmidt boasted a No. 27 ranking while the Illini countered with the No. 25 duo of sophomore Melissa Kopinski and senior Rachael White. The pair would clinch the doubles point for Illinois with an 8-5 victory.

“Misia and Allison played pretty flawless,” Dasso said. “It was ridiculous how well they played.”

Moving into singles play, however, the Illini couldn’t transfer the momentum from the doubles point and lost five of the six singles matches. Senior Breanne Smutko, in her last home match at Illinois, and Audrey O’Connor were both put away in two sets, giving Purdue a 2-1 lead.

The rest of the courts would go down to a third set, where the Boilermakers held a decided advantage. Purdue took three of the four courts, including two upsets over ranked Illini players with nearly identical scores. No. 102 Falkin held a 4-1 lead in the third set, but lost the next five games to lose the match 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Kopinski, ranked No. 109 in singles, was at a dead heat of 4-4 in the third set before losing 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

“We’re physically better than a lot of teams,” said Kedzierski, who had six match-point opportunities before dropping her singles match. “But we need to get stronger mentally, to play those pressure points.”

The lone bright spot for the Illini on the singles courts was White. She finished off her last home match and battled to a 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 victory.

Weather played a factor in the matches as wind whipped parallel to the lengths of the courts, providing a boost in the air on one side while knocking down balls going the opposite direction.

“We always seem to play Purdue outside,” White said. “I think that’s an advantage for us because we’re used to playing and practicing outside.”

In Friday’s match against Indiana, the Illini again earned the doubles point and split the six singles matches to reach the 4-3 score. Falkin defeated No. 97 Katie Klyczek 6-0, 6-2, and Kedzierski and White each notched victories on the singles courts.

Illinois has a quick turnaround before the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, where they will face Wisconsin (6-16, 3-8). Despite the loss, the Illini still have won seven of their last nine matches.

“We are playing our best tennis,” Dasso said. “But we are a bubble team. We have to win our first match in the Big Ten Tournament.”

Stephen can be reached at [email protected] and @steve_bourbon.